Monster Motorbike: the 13 tonne car crushing colossus

Almost thirty feet (9 metres) long, ten feet (3 metres) high and weighing as much as a school bus, the name emblazoned along the side of this menacing two-wheeled beast says it all - it's the "Monster Motorbike from Hell". Designed and built in Perth, Australia, by stunt driver Ray Baumann where it's been wowing fans with its car and caravan crushing capabilities, the Monster Motorbike is powered by a Detroit Diesel truck engine and six-speed Allison automatic and uses a two-speed Eaton differential from a road train to drive a massive chain on each side of the one-metre wide rear wheel.

Taken from a Caterpillar 80 tonne front end loader, the wheels and tyres alone are almost 10 feet (3 metres) high.

Weighing in at 13.6 tonnes (picture 10 family cars or a school bus), the Monster Motorbike is heading to Australia's east coast where it's sure to be a star attraction at the Melbourne Motor Show beginning in late February.

Baumann, a road train driver turned record setting stunt-jumper, spent three years developing the Monster with a small team of collaborators.

"We did stunt driving for quite a few years, broke a few records and broke my back a few times, so this is a way of taking a bit more care," he said.

"Now we crush things, which is definitely less risky than jumping them - we still do jump things, but not at the Melbourne Motor Show."

The 2008 Melbourne International Motor Show runs from 5pm on 29 February until 6pm on 10 March.

Via TheBikerGene.